Friday 18 May 2012

Communicating With HMRC - Things Don't Always Get Better!



My thanks to a loyal reader who dropped me this note the other day, in which he vented his spleen about the difficulties of communicating with HMRC:
"2012 client tax return submitted on 1st May with a claim for repayment of just over £10,000. 

Client asked when he might get this. 

Today 15 May I called the agents' dedicated line, as the HMRC website shows the refund as due and invites me to claim it! 

The officer I spoke to said, 'oh it's not letting me claim it either'. 

I said 'it's already been claimed on the tax return'. 

She is now emailing the 'back' office and asking them why the refund has not been made. They are going to ring me. 

I asked what the call-back time is. 

'Up to three weeks'. 

I expected 3-5 working days but sheeesh!!! 

NOTHING is getting better."
Contrary to the song, things don't always get better!

I would be interested to hear if a three week call back time the norm now?

Have other people had to wait longer?

Tax does have to be taxing.

Professional Cover Against the Threat of Costly TAX and VAT Investigations

What is TAXWISE?

TAXWISE is a tax-fee protection service that will pay up to £75,000 towards your accountant's fees in the event of an HM Revenue & Customs full enquiry or dispute.

To find out more, please use this link Taxwise



Tax Investigation for Dummies, by Nick Morgan, provides a good and easy to read guide for anyone caught up in an HMRC tax investigation. A must read for any Self Assessment taxpayer.

Click the link to read about: Tax Investigation for Dummies

HMRC Is Shite (www.hmrcisshite.com), also available via the domain www.hmrconline.com, is brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

5 comments:

  1. I'm not sure why a delay in receiving a £10,000 repayment would come as a suprise to anyone, especially an agent.

    Sure HMRC has to try & verify whether the repayment might be fraudulent or not?

    ReplyDelete
  2. 10 grand overpayment of tax, I would look for a new agent as well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I can't remember the bullshit I was spun by HMRC, but my tax refund of £5k was passed at 'local level' but then 'called in' for verification, even when I was told it had been 'passed' it took about 4 weeks to arrive; all in all took about 12 weeks. 'The cheque is in the post'. I must try that on HMRC next time payment is due. (and the repayment was because I never owed the money in the first place but had to pay £5k while 'communication' (lost letters, still awaiting HMRC replies! 18 months later) was sorted out! It was sorted out by making a formal complaint to Cardiff, seems about the only way to get anything done – having said that, I think it took about 9 months to sort with Cardiff in all!) To quote Paul Daniels 'it's magic'!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 9 months, 12 weeks.........18 Months, Can't remember what HMRC said....I smell Billy Bullshit......

      Delete
  4. Yeah, funnily enough, I get a whole load of " my cheques in the post " private sector bullshit. Who should I make a formal complaint to, you bell end??? Oh sorry, thats all struggling businessmen, trying to survive.....Strangely enough, when you visit their houses, they always seem to be on holiday ??

    ReplyDelete